unhinged 1 of 2

adjective

ˌən-ˈhinjd How to pronounce unhinged (audio)
Definition of unhingednext
as in psychotic
unable to think in a clear or sensible way destined to become one of the nation's most notorious serial killers, he apparently became unhinged as a result of being abandoned as a young teen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

unhinged

2 of 2

verb

past tense of unhinge
1
as in disturbed
to cause to go insane or as if insane the endless harassment by the guards completely unhinged the prisoners of war

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy I was momentarily unhinged by the unexpected question

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unhinged
Adjective
Disclosure Day is majestic, unnerving, and more than little wacky, though its pure unhinged quality is probably its secret sauce. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 June 2026 Blackwood, with her firsthand knowledge of drafty manors and unhinged families, explains with remorseless precision what lies behind the fantasy—what happens when the houses, and the people in them, are neither charismatic nor lovable. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 10 June 2026
Verb
This is where fashion goes full fantasy, sometimes genius, sometimes completely unhinged. — Alex Badia, Footwear News, 4 May 2026 Raimi’s comic survivalist thriller grows increasingly unhinged as their roles reverse. — ABC News, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for unhinged
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhinged
  1. psychotic
  2. disturbed
  3. alarmed
  4. insane
  5. crazed
  6. distracted
  7. mad
  8. deranged
Adjective
  • The defense argued that Bland had a psychotic episode due to a COVID infection.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026
  • The experience in question was a psychotic break that Murray endured in 2017 after spending several months involved with a wellness cult, coming to believe herself capable of powerful healing abilities.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 25 June 2026
Definition of psychotic
Verb
  • The location of the digging also could have disturbed another grave that may now be unmarked.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
  • Home to North America’s tallest mountain, Denali's six million acres of wilderness are disturbed by only one road.
    — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of disturbed
Verb
  • Those measures, however, have alarmed privacy advocates, who argue that age-gating the internet would affect all users — not just children.
    — Angela Yang, NBC news, 30 June 2026
  • That’s alarmed the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents about 400 nurses and staff at two psychiatric hospitals in Sacramento.
    — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 29 June 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • For example, Fred Again is absolutely doing insane things with the MPC Lives.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 30 June 2026
  • That dwarfs anything the powerhouse Spain teams did in the early 2010s, when the team was known for stringing together an insane number of passes that led to a goal.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2026
Definition of insane
Verb
  • If the lenses are badly crazed, meaning marred by microscopic cracks in the lens surface, or moisture is trapped inside the housing, replacement is the better option.
    — John Paul, The Providence Journal, 3 July 2026
  • The story quickly captivated an American public already more space-crazed than usual, thanks to the recent success of Artemis II.
    — Govert Schilling, Scientific American, 27 June 2026
Definition of crazed
Verb
  • Getting distracted by a late-stage bombshell would feel disingenuous at this point.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 1 July 2026
  • My will is scattered, directed toward many contradictory things, and easily distracted.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of distracted
Adjective
  • Getting mad about missing out on signing Anfernee Simons won’t change that.
    — Nick Friedell, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • When World Cup season descends upon soccer-mad Brazil, green and yellow banners decorate restaurants, bars and apartment buildings, streets are painted with flags and soccer balls, and discussions of the beloved national team's games are ubiquitous.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of mad
Verb
  • Frank, moving, and just slightly deranged.
    — Namara Smith, New Yorker, 10 June 2026
  • Only sick, demented, or deranged people in the House or Senate could vote against THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.
    — Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of deranged

Browse Nearby Words

unhinge
unhinged
unhinges
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unhinged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhinged. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on unhinged

Nglish: Translation of unhinged for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All